According to The New York Times, some people were asked to fork over thousands of dollars for their COVID-19 test. One emergency room in Austin, Texas charged $199 in cash for a test, whereas another patient was billed a whopping $6,408 and was told she still owed more than $1,000 after insurance. Another individual with the same provider got a drive-through coronavirus test. Afterward, he received a list of hidden chargers for unrelated screenings like herpes, enterovirus, and Legionnaires’ disease. This happens more often than you’d think. An earlier Times article reports that some Americans end up paying for screenings for the flu, other respiratory diseases, and STDs that are quietly tacked onto coronavirus orders. Patients then fork over money for these through deductibles or copayments.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb RELATED: For more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. The good news is that some test providers have kept costs down almost across the board. About 87 percent of the more than 29,000 coronavirus test bills recorded by Castlight Health were priced at $100 or less, according to Advisory Board. So, you won’t likely need to break the bank if you get swabbed for COVID-19. Just be careful where you choose to get your test. For instance, the Minute Clinic at CVS advertises free tests—but with a catch. If you read the fine print, it says, “Patients should not have any out-of-pocket costs, but you should check with your health plan to confirm before scheduling a test.” The safest—and cheapest—bet is to find your nearest public testing site, where local government agencies foot the bill. And for more information about COVID-19 tests, check out The One Mistake You’re Probably Making When It Comes to Coronavirus Testing.
